Peyton, left, and Eli Manning, shown in February 2009, probably would prefer a Pro Bowl atmosphere to what they're facing this week. / Marco Garcia, AP

by Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports

by Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports

DENVER - As soon as Peyton Manning picked the Denver Broncos to be his new team in March 2012, he and his younger brother Eli knew what was on the horizon.

Manning Bowl III in 2013, the first time Manning's Broncos would play Eli's New York Giants.

What many would imagine to be a fun family affair is a dreaded day for the brothers.

Manning's boss, Broncos executive vice president John Elway, understands. When Elway was the quarterback at Stanford, each year he had to play the San Jose State team coached by his father Jack. The contests lead to plenty of external intrigue but are nothing but heart-wrenching for the families.

"I would have rather not played my dad, because there could only be one winner," Elway told USA TODAY Sports recently. "When I look across the line of scrimmage, I'm not seeing my dad."

That's how Elway expects Peyton will approach Sunday's game at MetLife Stadium, in what could be the final time the Manning brothers meet in a regular-season game. The Broncos and Giants will play again in 2017, a year after Manning's five-year contract with the Broncos expires and when he would be 41.

Peyton's Indianapolis Colts won each of the first two Manning Bowls, 26-21 in 2006 and 38-14 in 2010.

The other possibility, of course, is the one that has existed since Eli joined Peyton in the NFL in 2004 - that someday Peyton's team would win the AFC and Eli's the NFC and they would meet in the Super Bowl. In the nine years both brothers have been in the NFL, a Manning has appeared in four Super Bowls - Peyton with the Colts in 2007 and 2010 and Eli with the Giants in 2008 and 2012 - but never at the same time.

A chance to meet in the Super Bowl in their hometown of New Orleans last season was spoiled. The Giants missed the playoffs, and the Broncos were ousted from the postseason in an upset by the Baltimore Ravens.

So what about a Super Bowl in Eli's professional home stadium?

"That's a long way away," Peyton said after Denver's season-opening win against the Ravens. "We have to go play there in Week 2, and we don't have to talk about that until (then) either."

Peyton did address the upcoming game with slightly more detail Wednesday.

"You do take a moment to realize that it is special. But once the game gets started, all week the focus is on their defense, and you can go out there and just play," he said.

Early is better

The hype of an all-Manning Super Bowl would make last year's Jim Harbaugh vs. John Harbaugh coaching battle seem quaint.

Perhaps that's why, when the NFL schedule was announced in April, both brothers looked for the same things first. Who, and where, would they play their opening game, and when would they play each other? In April, both quarterbacks told USA TODAY Sports they were relieved to see the matchup come so early. In fact, Week 2 might be ideal, because it would give the media less time to spend on the game because of even bigger matchups in Week 1.

"That's probably the best way to do it and get it over with and put it all behind us," Eli Manning said when the Sept. 15 date was announced, noting he was glad it wasn't the opener so "I don't have to talk about it for the next four months."

That gave the Broncos and Giants plenty of time to focus on real team issues, not emotional ones.

For the Broncos, it was a rematch with the Ravens, a chance to at least somewhat avenge the devastating playoff loss.

For the Giants, it was a road game at the NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys.

Only one brother ended the weekend happy - as will be the case this weekend - after Peyton's Broncos beat the Ravens 49-27 and Eli's Giants lost to the Cowboys 36-31.

Just another quarterback?

But how's this for a nice setup - both brothers were 27-for-42 passing in their openers.

Peyton threw for 12 more yards (462 to Eli's 450) and three more touchdowns - an NFL-record-tying seven - to Eli's four. Peyton was intercepted once, while Eli saw three of his passes wind up in the arms of Cowboys defenders, including one returned 49 yards for a touchdown by Brandon Carr that clinched the win for Dallas.

Both quarterbacks were sacked three times, and Giants safety Antrel Rolle said the Giants would have to bring at least that much pressure on Peyton on Sunday.

"Peyton doesn't like to be hit. That's one thing I'm sure of. He doesn't like to be hit; he doesn't like to be sacked. Peyton Manning is Peyton Manning, definitely one of the best quarterbacks to play this game. Hall of Fame quarterback, but I don't see all of that come Sunday," Rolle said. "We play against him as we play any other quarterback. This is no time for fear, and no one on the defense is going to fear Peyton, because we're going to go after him as we do any other quarterback."

That indeed might be the mantra inside the Giants facility this week. Peyton Manning is just another quarterback - not our quarterback's big brother.

It's a similar feeling in Denver, where Broncos players had Sunday night off after playing in the Thursday night opener. Many Broncos chose to watch the Giants-Cowboys game to do some early scouting on a team they haven't played since 2010. Three Broncos defensive players - cornerback Champ Bailey, defensive end Robert Ayers and linebacker Wesley Woodyard - remain from that team that beat the Giants on Thanksgiving Day.

Broncos defensive end Shaun Phillips said he wouldn't ask Peyton this week about sacking his brother - nor would he feel bad about doing it. Phillips had a team-high 2½ sacks against the Ravens.

"That's not something we would ever talk about. That's something that we talk about as a defense," Phillips said. "Obviously, getting to a great quarterback like Eli, if we can get him on his back we're doing something right - we'll give ourselves a good chance of winning the football game."

Much like the Broncos were watching Eli on Sunday, Eli had a chance to watch his brother play in the Thursday night opener.

"Yeah, he did OK," Eli deadpanned in an interview with the Giants website. "He makes it look easy. ... I know it definitely is harder than what it looked like, especially that second half. But he played pretty outstanding."